[SirMasterKey]

(Original post by Norfolkadam)
Okay so I'm planning a little backpacking trip around the UK for the summer and I want to take in some classical sights. I've got the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge and the British Museum down, can anyone reccommend any other good exhibitions of ancient greek artefacts or any particularly interesting Roman sites in the UK?

I'm sure I could think of some off the top of my head but it'd be good to hear some other peoples' ideas.

Burgh Castle is close to you and I found it fascinating. Gives you a real sense of how big a Roman fort could be. I think it was only there to house a small section of cavalry troops as well!

Although if you live in Norfolk, I'd guess you've been there.

[Aemiliana]

(Original post by Norfolkadam)
Okay so I'm planning a little backpacking trip around the UK for the summer and I want to take in some classical sights. I've got the Fitzwilliam in Cambridge and the British Museum down, can anyone reccommend any other good exhibitions of ancient greek artefacts or any particularly interesting Roman sites in the UK?

I'm sure I could think of some off the top of my head but it'd be good to hear some other peoples' ideas.

Caerleon! The museum's crap but it has a grown over amphitheatre and stuff. Okay, okay, I'm biased 'cause I grew up there but still. Oh! And it has some Roman baths so go go go! And here too - Vindolanda keeps coming up whenever I'm reading Roman archaeology stuff so must be good!

[Norfolkadam]

(Original post by SirMasterKey)
Burgh Castle is close to you and I found it fascinating. Gives you a real sense of how big a Roman fort could be. I think it was only there to house a small section of cavalry troops as well!

Although if you live in Norfolk, I'd guess you've been there.

I take the dog for a walk there every Sunday. It's awesome. Sadly though as the years go by it's historical provenance is being ever downgraded. It's probably not Gariannonum which is thought to be a less impressive ruin just north of Yarmouth at Caister and it might not even have been a cavalry garrison, rather a supply base for the North Sea.

What's really interesting is that the whole area around where I live was an estuary (literally The Great Estuary) in Classical times and so Burgh Castle and Caister Fort (5 and 1 miles inland respectively) were both shore forts. On my commute I travel down a train line through the old estuary and you can clearly see where the land rises to come "ashore" as it were.

(Original post by Aemiliana)
Caerleon! The museum's crap but it has a grown over amphitheatre and stuff. Okay, okay, I'm biased 'cause I grew up there but still. Oh! And it has some Roman baths so go go go! And here too - Vindolanda keeps coming up whenever I'm reading Roman archaeology stuff so must be good!

Thanks, I'll bear both of those in mind. Caerleon is a bit out of the way of where I was planning on going but I'm a sucker for an ampitheatre so we'll see, we'll see.

[beesbees]

(Original post by Norfolkadam)
I take the dog for a walk there every Sunday. It's awesome. Sadly though as the years go by it's historical provenance is being ever downgraded. It's probably not Gariannonum which is thought to be a less impressive ruin just north of Yarmouth at Caister and it might not even have been a cavalry garrison, rather a supply base for the North Sea.

What's really interesting is that the whole area around where I live was an estuary (literally The Great Estuary) in Classical times and so Burgh Castle and Caister Fort (5 and 1 miles inland respectively) were both shore forts. On my commute I travel down a train line through the old estuary and you can clearly see where the land rises to come "ashore" as it were.



Thanks, I'll bear both of those in mind. Caerleon is a bit out of the way of where I was planning on going but I'm a sucker for an ampitheatre so we'll see, we'll see.

There's plenty of Roman sites across the South East, particularly around Sussex. Bignor has some of the best preserved mosaics, and Fishbourne (fairly nearby) is pretty spectacular too. Both deserving of a spot on the itenary I think!

[Norfolkadam]

(Original post by beesbees)
There's plenty of Roman sites across the South East, particularly around Sussex. Bignor has some of the most preserved mosaic, and Fishbourne (fairly nearby) is pretty spectacular too. Both deserving of a spot on the itenary I think!

Fishbourne was on my maybe list but I'd really like to go there, Bignor just crept onto that list too. I'm guessing there's probably something decent and Roman to see around St Albans too.

[Norfolkadam]

What I really want to avoid is something like my trip to Brancaster (Branodonum) in North Norfolk:



That's it, they built a housing estate over most of the remains in the 70s.

[faber niger]

(Original post by Norfolkadam)
What I really want to avoid is something like my trip to Brancaster (Branodonum) in North Norfolk:



That's it, they built a housing estate over most of the remains in the 70s.

Haha. The reconstructed Roman fort in Manchester might not be especially impressive, but at least it's discernable as a fort.

[beesbees]

(Original post by Norfolkadam)
Fishbourne was on my maybe list but I'd really like to go there, Bignor just crept onto that list too. I'm guessing there's probably something decent and Roman to see around St Albans too.

What I think would be a cool trip is following the route of Stane Street (Starting at London Bridge and working down to Chichester) and going to nearby stes off it - there is a lot of cool stuff along that route, both landscape-wise (Box Hill and Leith Hill are great places, and of course its almost all on the South Downs) and archaeology, not least the two I mentioned above.

Or at least you could incorporate part of this into a longer trip around. This is the area where most of my family trips, vacations etc were to so I have quite fond memories of the area! Been to most of the national trust properties in the region when I had a national trust membership.. really should renew that and do the South West properties now I'm down here; it's just getting to them thats the problem.

[faber niger]

(Original post by SirMasterKey)
If you two want, I can forward the email with information that one of my tutors sent me?

Edit:

Or I could just copy the text into the spoiler below.

Spoiler:

Show

Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies
Bursaries for Museum Internships

The Roman Society is pleased to invite applications for its 2011 Museum
Internship Bursaries. The internships may be held at the following museums:

British Museum, Department of Coins and Medals
British Museum, Department of Greece and Rome, working on the Pompeii
exhibition
Great North Museum, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne
National Museum of Wales in Cardiff, holding an Archaeological Curatorial
Training Placement (25th July - 19th August)

The exact length of the internships at the British Museum and Great North
Museum may be determined in consultation with the Museum.

All Undergraduate and MA students are eligible to apply.

Up to four bursaries of £250 will be offered as a contribution towards
travel or living expenses.

Candidates should apply by letter setting out their reasons for wishing to
undertake an internship and outlining any previous experience of working in
a museum. You should also provide the name and email address of a
referee. You may specify the Museum you would prefer to be based at, or
submit an open application. If applying to Cardiff, you must also apply
direct to the Museum; for further details, email:
sian.layton@museumwales.ac.uk

Letters of application should be addressed to the Secretary, Dr Fiona
Haarer, and sent by email by 30th May, 2011 to:
office@romansociety.org

See also
http://www.romansociety.org/about/grants/museum-internship-bursaries.html

--
Dr. Fiona Haarer, Secretary
Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies
Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 7HU
Tel.: +44 (0)20 7862 8727; Fax: +44 (0)20 7862 8728
www.romansociety.org
Company reg. no. 114442
Charity reg. no. 210644
Vat no. GB 233 4855 62

Messages to the list are archived at http://listserv.liv.ac.uk/archives/classicists.html

It says that all undergraduates and MA students can apply. I imagine that implies that I wouldn't be eligible, since I'll have graduated. Ah well, less competition for the rest of you!

[SirMasterKey]

(Original post by jismith1989)
It says that all undergraduates and MA students can apply. I imagine that implies that I wouldn't be eligible, since I'll have graduated. Ah well, less competition for the rest of you!

I was wary of posting as I'd be opening up more competition but still they'll be loads anyway I guess. Personally I'll go for either of the two BM ones, as I live in Kent it's not that hard to get to.

[Aemiliana]

Someone on TSR just used the word odyssey. The spelt it wrong. The person correcting their spelling didn't correct it. And I thought TSR was the hub of all knowledge*

*Or some other phrase, I'm tired and stressed

[SirMasterKey]

I might have to write a gobbet on apart of the Odyssey in my Ancient Greece exam. In fact as I'm more confident on it I probably will. Now to work out the other 3 that I would do.

[Aemiliana]

That reminds me: any tips on writing commentaries on ancient poetry? I'm **** at it and need to improve for my exam

[The Lyceum]

(Original post by Aemiliana)
That reminds me: any tips on writing commentaries on ancient poetry? I'm **** at it and need to improve for my exam

Still not got the hang of it myself 3 years later...I don't know, I do a mixture of the stuf you find in the Cambridge commentaries and essay format. I suppose it depends what you're going for?

I like to work thusly:

0) Place context of passage etc
1) Pick off the easy things to comment on: Metre, sound, any weird word formation. Names/Events
2) Allusions to other classical literary/later works that copy it
3) General
4) Pray

[SirMasterKey]

(Original post by Aemiliana)
That reminds me: any tips on writing commentaries on ancient poetry? I'm **** at it and need to improve for my exam

Thank goodness I don't have to do at but write on the context and history surrounding it. Sorry I can't be of any help.

[Norfolkadam]

(Original post by beesbees)
What I think would be a cool trip is following the route of Stane Street (Starting at London Bridge and working down to Chichester) and going to nearby stes off it - there is a lot of cool stuff along that route, both landscape-wise (Box Hill and Leith Hill are great places, and of course its almost all on the South Downs) and archaeology, not least the two I mentioned above.

Or at least you could incorporate part of this into a longer trip around. This is the area where most of my family trips, vacations etc were to so I have quite fond memories of the area! Been to most of the national trust properties in the region when I had a national trust membership.. really should renew that and do the South West properties now I'm down here; it's just getting to them thats the problem.

I got a book out of the library today with a list of Roman sites in Britain in. I think I'd like to start at the Antonine Wall then down Dere Street to the Hadrian Wall, then Newcastle, York, Chester; Watling Road to St Albans and London then either Stane Street to Chichester or Watling Street to Canterbury. Not sure yet, I'll have to look at the practicalities.

I shouldn't really like the Romans as much as I do seeing as I'm a ginger man from the home of the Iceni. I should probably go and smash up Colchester but I won't, I'll leave that to the locals on a Friday night. ()

[SirMasterKey]

(Original post by Norfolkadam)
I got a book out of the library today with a list of Roman sites in Britain in. I think I'd like to start at the Antonine Wall then down Dere Street to the Hadrian Wall, then Newcastle, York, Chester; Watling Road to St Albans and London then either Stane Street to Chichester or Watling Street to Canterbury. Not sure yet, I'll have to look at the practicalities.

I shouldn't really like the Romans as much as I do seeing as I'm a ginger man from the home of the Iceni. I should probably go and smash up Colchester but I won't, I'll leave that to the locals on a Friday night. ()

I should go there at one point. I did once go to Canterbury with the sole intention of going to the Roman Museum there last summer, only to have got there a couple of minutes after closing time in the afternoon. I was really disappointed.

[RosyAurora]

(Original post by jismith1989)
Yeah, it does take a long time to come to grips with everything, for everything to fully settle to the bed of one's mind, it's a complex language. Don't worry about trying to remember all of the minutiae and minor rules though, if you don't have to, just work towards what's likely to be on the exam.

Middle verbs are, in essence, deponent verbs, i.e. active in meaning with no corresponding active forms (or if they do, the meaning's different between them), that's the easiest way to think of them, like Latin. So, in some cases, e.g. erkhomai, the fact that the verb's middle has no bearing on its meaning, that's just, to quote Run-DMC, the way it is. But in other cases it does (especially when there are corresponding active forms), and, as you say, the most common of these cases is that of reflexivity (i.e. the idea of doing something to oneself or in one's own interest). If I remember back, the Reading Greek grammar book had two pages devoted to these various meanings that 'middleness' can (but doesn't have to) denote; that might be good to have a look at if you want to get an overview. (I'm sure that there are sections in more advanced works too, but I haven't myself come across them.) You're probably best just to learn the meanings of verbs as you meet them though.

I appreciate that you're so calm about it, I can't seem to picture Greek in my head as anything but a big scary mountain that I can't climb, ever. I really dislike Greek and I wish that I had the option not to take it, because if I hate it now, it's only going to get harder and worse. I don't want to change course either, because this is what I want to do - minus the Greek. I'm worried that I'll never get a First and therefore a good job because Greek will always drag me down

I even have a 2nd year tutoring me, but I just don't feel like it's helping

[Aemiliana]

(Original post by RosyAurora)
I appreciate that you're so calm about it, I can't seem to picture Greek in my head as anything but a big scary mountain that I can't climb, ever. I really dislike Greek and I wish that I had the option not to take it, because if I hate it now, it's only going to get harder and worse. I don't want to change course either, because this is what I want to do - minus the Greek. I'm worried that I'll never get a First and therefore a good job because Greek will always drag me down

I even have a 2nd year tutoring me, but I just don't feel like it's helping

I know I epically failed Greek but the few tests I did do well in I'd literally done every exercise in my textbook, plus a few more from this site. Dunno if you're already doing that but if it could help an idiot like me might help someone with a little more aptitude?

[faber niger]

(Original post by RosyAurora)
I appreciate that you're so calm about it, I can't seem to picture Greek in my head as anything but a big scary mountain that I can't climb, ever. I really dislike Greek and I wish that I had the option not to take it, because if I hate it now, it's only going to get harder and worse. I don't want to change course either, because this is what I want to do - minus the Greek. I'm worried that I'll never get a First and therefore a good job because Greek will always drag me down

I even have a 2nd year tutoring me, but I just don't feel like it's helping

I know how you feel, I think I felt like that when I was at your stage (not so long ago). Just keep on pounding, that's all you can do. Don't worry about what's going to happen, or what's not, just try to focus on the wading through the bog. It's summer soon.

Even if you don't get a first, it certainly doesn't mean that you won't get a good job. Loads of successful people have 2.1s (and some have less; think of A.E. Housman, for example, who went on to become a renowned classical scholar, but failed his undergraduate degree). After all, top companies and grad schemes, especially in the areas for which classics graduates are likely to apply, care a lot about, what they call in odious management-speak, "soft skills" and other things like that -- your ability to conjugate a Greek verb is very much secondary! If you happen to have first-class grades in some parts of the course, well, that's all for the better and something you can mention on your CV.